Computer network system including an information collector computer

ABSTRACT

A computer network system includes a plurality of information provider computers, an information collector computer and a communication network for connecting these computers together. The information provider computers store therein a plurality of information sets in connection with respective generation number information including ID codes and version codes. The information collector computer stores therein the information sets in connection with the version codes, periodically or intermittently receives the generation number information, compares the same against corresponding information stored therein, and receives the information set if a corresponding version code is not stored therein.

This is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/660,493,filed Sep. 12, 2003, which claims priority from Japanese PatentApplication No. 2002-268754, filed Sep. 13, 2002, the entire disclosuresof which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a computer network system including aninformation collector computer and, more particularly, to a computernetwork system including a plurality of information provider computers,at least one information collector computer and a communication networkfor connecting these computers.

(b) Description of the Related Art

A network system is known wherein a plurality of units cooperate forprocessing while monitoring the operating state of each other unit. Ifthese units are connected therebetween by one or more of communicationnetwork, the monitoring operation is generally performed whileexchanging the data based on a simple network management protocol(SNMP). If these units are computers and the information is stored inthe computers, the amount of data to be exchanged between the computersis large to thereby cause a heavy burden on the network as well as thecomputers. If such a computer network system includes a large number ofcomputers connected via the communication network, the burden on thecommunication network as well as the computers further increases.

In such a large-scale computer network system, it is not practical touse a single monitoring computer for monitoring the information storedin a large number of other computers, i.e., information providercomputers, and thus a plurality of monitoring computers, i.e.,information collector computers are used for monitoring the informationin a distributed processing. For such a network system, a technique isknown wherein if an information provider computer updates theinformation therein, the information provider computer transmits theupdated part of the information to the information collector computer,for reducing the amount of data to be exchanged for the monitoring.

However, there is a problem in such a system that if there are aplurality of information collector computers, each information providercomputer must know the presence itself and the addresses of theinformation collector computers monitoring the each information providercomputer. This increases a heavy burden on the each information providercomputer which has own task for processing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a computer network system including a plurality of informationprovider computers and at least one information collector computer,which are connected via a network, and capable of reducing the burden onthe network and the computer network system as a whole.

The present invention provides a computer network system including aplurality of information provider computers, at least one informationcollector computer, and a network for connecting the informationprovider computers and the information collector computer together: eachof the information provider computers storing therein updatedinformation in connection with generation number information including aversion code thereof, the information collector computer including: alocal buffer for storing therein the updated information in connectionwith the corresponding version codes thereof; a receiving unit forreceiving the generation number information from the informationprovider computers at a specified timing; and a comparator for comparingeach version code received at the specified timing against the versioncodes stored in the local buffer, wherein if one of the version codes inthe generation number information received at the specified timing isnot stored in the local buffer, the receiving unit receives the updatedinformation corresponding to the one of the version codes from acorresponding one of the information provider computer.

The present invention also provides a method for collecting informationby using an information collection computer from a plurality ofinformation provider computers via a communication network, the methodincluding the steps of: storing in each of the information providercomputers updated information in connection with generation numberinformation including a version code thereof; storing in the informationprovider computer the updated information in connection with thecorresponding version codes thereof; receiving the generation numberinformation by using the information provider computer from theinformation provider computers at a specified timing; detecting whetheror not each version code received at the specified timing is stored inthe information collector computer; and receiving the updatedinformation from one of the information provider computers if acorresponding version code is not stored in the information collectorcomputer.

In accordance with the system and the method of the present invention,the amount of data transmitted between the information collectorcomputer and each of the information provider computers via the networkcan be reduced for alleviating the burden on the communication networkand the information collector computer.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be more apparent from the following description,referring to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a computer network systemaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed functional block diagram of the informationprovider computer shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is flowchart of the processing by the information providercomputer of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the processing by the information collectorcomputer shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams showing the contents of datastored in the information provider computer and information collectorcomputer shown in FIG. 1 during consecutive states thereof.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of a computer network systemaccording to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the computer network system of FIG. 6.

FIGS. 8A to 8D are schematic diagrams showing the contents of datastored in the information provider computer and information collectorcomputer shown in FIG. 6 during consecutive states thereof.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a computer network system generally designated bynumeral 100, according to a first embodiment of the present inventionincludes at least one information collector computer 10, a plurality ofinformation provider computers 20 and 30, and a communication network 40connecting these computers 10, 20 and 30 together. It is to be notedthat the number of information collector computers 10 and the number ofinformation provider computers 20 and 30 are not limited to any numbers,and should depend on the system desired.

The information collector computer 10 includes a receiving unit 11 forreceiving and collecting information from any of the informationprovider computers 20 and 30 through the communication network 40, alocal buffer 12 for storing therein the information received by thereceiving unit 11, and a comparator 13 for comparing the ID/version codeof the information stored in the information provider computer 20 or 30against the ID/version code of the corresponding information stored inthe local buffer 12. The term “version” as used herein may include amajor version and a minor version, wherein the major version informationmay be specified by most significant bits of the version code, and theminor version information may be specified by the least significant bitsthereof.

Referring to FIG. 2, the information provider computer 20 includes aninformation manager 21, a transmitting unit 22, an information updateunit 23 and a version code update unit 24. The information manager 21manages the information in the information provider computer 20 as tothe operating state thereof while separating the information intoA-group information (A-group information set) 2111, B-group information2121 and C-group information 2131 based on the update frequency thereof.For example, the separation is such that the A-group information 2111has a lowest update frequency, the B-group information 2121 has a mediumupdate frequency and the C-group information 2131 has a highest updatefrequency. In addition, each group information set 2111, 2121 or 2131has generation number information 2112, 2122 or 2132 including an IDcode of the group information, which identifies the each groupinformation set, and a version code which identifies the version of theeach group information set. Other information provider computers such as30 have similar configurations.

When the information provider computer 20 (or 30) stores a new groupinformation set, the information provider computer 20 registers thereinthe new group information in association with the ID code and a versioncode, i.e., zero. Referring to FIG. 3 showing the procedure of theinformation provider computer 20 (or 30), when a group information setstored in the information provider computer 20 is updated, thecorresponding version code is also updated or incremented following theupdate of the group information. The information collector computer 10receives all the updated group information from the information providercomputers 20 and 30, to store the same in association with the ID codesand version codes thereof. The information collector sever 10intermittently or periodically operates for receiving all the updatedgroup information from the information provider computers 20 and 30.

More specifically, the receiving unit 11 of the information collectorcomputer 10 first reads all the ID codes and version codes of theinformation from the information provider computers 20 and 30 (step B1).Then, the comparator 13 compares the ID code and version code receivedby the receiving unit 11 against the ID code and version code,respectively, already stored in the local buffer 12. If it is judged inthe comparison that the version code is updated in the informationprovider computer 20 or 30, the receiving unit 11 receives the groupinformation corresponding to the updated version code. On the otherhand, if it is judged in the comparison that the version code is notupdated in the information provider computer 20, the receiving unit 11of the information collector computer 10 does not receive the groupinformation corresponding to the non-updated version code.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the procedure of the information provider computer 20(or 30) and the procedure of the information collector computer 10,respectively. In FIG. 3, when the information provider computer 20detects a change in the computer 20, such as a change of data therein orthe operating state thereof, during the own processing, the informationupdate unit 23 updates the information stored in the information manager11 for each group information set based on the change (step A1).Subsequently, the version code update unit 24 increments the versioncode corresponding to the updated group information (step A2).

In FIG. 4, the receiving unit 11 of the information collector computer10 intermittently or periodically receives the generation numberinformation to read the ID code and version code of each groupinformation set stored in the information provider computers 20 and 30via the communication network 40 (step B1). The ID code may be a filenumber of the group information, or an original version code of thegroup information, which is determined upon the initial registry of thegroup information and from which each version code derives ororiginates.

Subsequently, the comparator 13 of the information collector computer 10compares the ID code in the generation number information received fromthe information provider computer 20 or 30 against the ID codes storedin the local buffer 12 to detect whether or not the received ID codecoincides with one of the stored ID codes (step B2). If it is judgedthat the received ID code coincides with one of the stored ID codes, thecomparator 13 further compares the received version code against theversion code of the group information stored in the local buffer 12 andhaving the one of the ID codes (step B3).

If the received ID code is not stored in the local buffer 12 or if thereceived version code does not coincide with the corresponding storedversion code, the information collector computer 10 receives the groupinformation corresponding to the received ID code and version code (stepB4). Upon the receipt, the receiving unit 11 receives the groupinformation via the transmitting unit 22 or 32 and communication network40. On the other hand, if the received ID code and received version codecoincide with one of the stored ID codes and the corresponding storedversion code, respectively, in steps B2 and B3, the informationcollector computer 10 finishes the processing without receiving thecorresponding group information.

Referring to FIGS. 5A to 5C, there are shown data stored in theinformation provider computer 20 and the information collector computer10 during consecutive steps in the computer network system of FIG. 1.FIG. 5A shows an initial stage of the system wherein the informationprovider computer 20 stores therein, together with other groupinformation, C-group information 2131 in association with the generationnumber information 2132 including an ID code and a version code, “100”,and wherein the information collector computer 10 stores therein a copyof the C-group information 2131 as well as a copy of the generationnumber information 2132 including an ID code and a version code, “100”,which coincides with the version code, “100”, stored in the informationprovider computer 20.

In FIG. 5B, upon a change of the operating state in the informationprovider computer 20 during the processing thereof, the informationupdate unit 23 updates the C-group information 2131 after detecting thechange of data therein (step Al in FIG. 3). The version code update unit24 then updates the version code of the generation number information2131 by incrementing the version code from “100” to “101” (step A2 inFIG. 3).

In FIG. 5B, upon a timing for collection of information by theinformation collector computer 10, the receiving unit 11 of theinformation collector computer 10 receives and reads all the generationnumber information stored in the information provider computers 20 and30 (step B1 in FIG. 4). The received generation number informationincludes the generation number information 2132 including the ID codeand version code, “101”, which corresponds to the updated C-groupinformation 2131.

The comparator 24 detects an inequality between the updated versioncode, “101” of the generation number information 2132 stored in theinformation provider computer 20 and the copy of the non-updated versioncode, “100”, stored in the information collector computer 10 (step B3 inFIG. 4). Thus, as shown in FIG. 5C, the information collector computer10 receives the C-group information 2131 corresponding to the generationnumber information 2132, and stores a copy of the C-group information2131 in association with a copy of the generation number information2132 including the version code, “101” in the local buffer 12 (step B4in FIG. 4).

After a specified time length elapses to enter another informationcollection timing, the information collector computer 10 again receivesthe generation number information, such as 2312, stored in theinformation provider computers 20 and 30 (step B1 in FIG. 4). Since thereceived generation number information 2132 including the version code,101, coincides with the generation number information 2132 stored in theinformation collector computer 10, the information collector computer 10finishes the receiving procedure without receiving the correspondinggroup information 2131.

In the above embodiment, since the group information itself is nottransmitted between the information provider computer 20 and theinformation collector computer 10 if the group information is notupdated, the amount of data transmitted therebetween can be reduced tosave the amount of processing by the communication network and theinformation collector computer 10.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown an information provider computer 20Adisposed in a computer network system according to a second embodimentof the present invention. The information collector computer (10) in thepresent embodiment is similar to the information collector computer 10in the first embodiment. Basically, the information provider computer20A of the present embodiment is similar to the information providercomputer 20 in the first embodiment except that the information manager21A in the present embodiment stores therein a plurality of generationnumber information sectors including a major information sector 2113 andminor information sectors 2112 and 2122 for defining the generationnumber information of the A-group information (subset) 2111 and B-groupinformation (subset) 2121. A-group information subset 2111 and B-groupinformation subset 2121 having a common generation number informationsector 2113 configure an information set. The information manager 21Astores therein a single generation number information sector (majorinformation sector) 2133 for the C-group information (set), which isgenerally updated less frequently compared to the A- and B-groupinformation 2111 and 2121.

In the present embodiment, if the A-group information 2111 is updated,for example, the version code of the minor information sector 2112 isincremented, and the version code of the major information sector 2113is also incremented responding to the increment of the minor informationsector 2112. On the other hand, if the C-group information 2131 isupdated, the single information sector (major information sector) 2133is incremented.

The procedure of the information collector computer 10 is shown in FIG.7, which is similar to FIG. 4 except for steps B20 and B40 conducted inthe present embodiment. The step B20 in the present embodiment is suchthat it is examined based on the ID codes whether or not the versioncodes of the received major information sectors coincide with thosestored in the local buffer 12. If it is judged in step B20 that all theversion codes of the received major information sectors coincide withthose stored in the local buffer 12, then the procedure advances to stepB3, wherein the information collector computer 10 finishes the procedurewithout receiving the group information.

If it is judged in step B20 or B3 that any of the ID codes or versioncodes of the received major information sectors does not coincide withthose stored in the local buffer 12, the procedure advances to procedureB40. The information collector sever 10 stores therein the ID code andversion code of the received major information sectors which does notcoincide with those stored in the local buffer 12 (step B41).Subsequently, it is judged in step B42 whether or not a subordinateinformation sector, which is subordinate to the stored major informationsector, is stored in the information provider computer 20A. If it isaffirmative, the information collector computer 10 receives all thesubordinate information sectors (step B43), and compares the ID code andversion code of each subordinate information sector against all the IDcodes and version codes stored in local buffer 12 (step B44).

If it is judged in step B44 that the ID code of the subordinateinformation sector coincides with one of the ID codes stored in thelocal buffer 12, the procedure advances to step B45 wherein it isexamined whether or not the version code of the subordinate informationsector coincides with one of the version codes stored in the localbuffer 12. If it is affirmative in step B45, the information collectorcomputer 10 finishes the procedure without receiving the groupinformation. If it is negative in step B45 or step B44, the procedurereturns to step B41, wherein the subordinate version code sector whichdoes not coincide with those stored in the local buffer is stored in thelocal buffer 12. If it is judged in step B42 that there is no remainingsubordinate version code sector, the information collector computer 10now receives all the group information which correspond to thesubordinate information sectors stored in step B41.

The above procedure will be further detailed with reference to FIGS. 8Ato 8D illustrating the data stored in the information provider computer20A and the information collector computer 10. It is assumed, as shownin FIG. 5A, that the information provider computer 20A stores thereininformation including two groups of information including A-groupinformation 2111, B-group information 2121 and other group information.

The A-group information 2111 is associated with a minor generationnumber information sector 2112 including a minor version code, “100”,and a major generation number information sector 2113 including a majorversion code, “300”. The B-group information 2121 is associated with aminor generation number information sector 2122 including a minorversion code, “200”, and the major generation number information sector2113. Copies of these generation number information sectors 2112, 2122and 2133 including the ID codes and version codes are stored in theinformation collector computer 10.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the information provider computer 20A updates theB-group information 2121 due to a change in the operating state thereof,whereby the minor version code in the generation number informationsector 2122 is incremented from “200” to “201”, and the major versioncode in the generation number information sector 2113 is incrementedfrom “300” to “301”.

At a timing of the information collection, the information collectorcomputer 10 receives the generation number information sector 2113 (stepB1). Since it is judged in step B20 that the ID code of the generationnumber information sector 2113 is stored in the local buffer 12 of theinformation collector computer 10, the comparator 13 of the informationcollector computer 10 compares the major version code, “301”, in thegeneration number information sector 2113 against the version code,“300”, stored in the information collector computer 10, therebydetecting a disagreement therebetween (step B3). Thus, the informationcollector computer 10 stores the received version code, “301”, in thelocal buffer 12 (step B41).

In FIG. 8C, the information collector computer 10 then detects thesubordinate information sectors 2112 and 2122 which are subordinate tothe stored information sector 2113, receives the same (steps B42 andB43), and starts for the operation in connection with the generationnumber information sector 2112. Since it is judged in step B44 that acopy of the generation number information sector 2112 is stored in thelocal buffer 12, and the version code thereof is “100”, the informationcollector computer 10 finishes the procedure for the generation numberinformation sector 2112.

In FIG. 8D, the information collector computer 10 then starts for theoperation in connection with the generation number information sector2122. Although generation number information sector 2122 is stored inthe information collector computer 10, the new version code thereof,201″ in the information provider computer 20A is not stored in theinformation collector computer 10 (step B45). Thus, the process returnsto step B41, wherein the information collector computer 10 stores theversion code, “201”, of the generation number information sector 2122 inthe local buffer 12.

Since it is judged in step B42 that there is no remaining subordinategeneration number information sector, the information collector computer10 receives the B-group information corresponding to the generationnumber information sector 2122, and stores the same in the local buffer12 (step B46), thereby finishing the information collection.

Upon a next timing for the information collector computer 10 to receivethe information from the information provider computers, the informationcollector computer 10 receives, from the information collector computer20A, the generation number information sector 2113 including the versioncode, “301”, which is stored in the information collector computer 10(steps B20 and B3. Thus, the information collector computer 10 finishesthe receiving operation at this stage without receiving the groupinformation.

In the present embodiment, since the ID codes as well as the versioncodes are separated into a plurality of generation number informationsectors, the amount of data to be received by the information collectorcomputer can be reduced compared to the first embodiment so long as thegroup information has not been updated.

The present invention can be applied to any computer network system,wherein a plurality of computers are connected via at least onecommunication network. For example, the present invention can besuitably applied to a multi-processor system wherein a plurality ofcomputers are connected and an information collector computer monitorsthe load of each computer for allocating the task to the each computerbased on the load thereof. In such a system, for example, the A-groupinformation includes the architecture or organization of the computer,B-group information includes the current load of the peripheral devicesof the computer, and the C-group information includes the load of thecomputer itself. If it is detected based on the B- or C-groupinformation that the current load for a peripheral device or thecomputer is heavy, the next task to be allocated to the device orcomputer is allocated to another peripheral device or another computerto distribute the burden on the entire system.

The information collector computer may collect the informationperiodically at a specified interval, intermittently, e.g., at thetiming of end of a task, or by responding to an instruction for thecollection. The generation number information stored in the informationprovider computer or information collector server may include only aversion code. In such a case, the information collector computer maycompare the version code stored in the information provider computeragainst the version codes stored in the information collector computerbefore determining whether or not the information is to be received.

Since the above embodiments are described only for examples, the presentinvention is not limited to the above embodiments and variousmodifications or alterations can be easily made therefrom by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the scope of the presentinvention.

1. A method for collecting information by using an informationcollection computer from a plurality of information provider computersvia a communication network, said method comprising the steps of:storing in each of said information provider computers updatedinformation in connection with generation number information including aversion code thereof; storing in said information provider computer saidupdated information in connection with corresponding said version codesthereof; receiving said generation number information by using saidinformation provider computer from said information provider computersat a specified timing; detecting whether or not each said version codereceived at said specified timing is stored in said informationcollector computer; and receiving said updated information from one ofsaid information provider computers if a corresponding version code isnot stored in said information collector computer.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein said generation number informationincludes an ID code and said version code.
 3. The method according toclaim 1, wherein said information in each of said information providercomputers is separated into a plurality of information sets, which arestored in connection with respective generation number information. 4.The method according to claim 3, wherein said generation numberinformation includes an ID code and said version code of each of saidinformation sets.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at leastone of said information sets includes a plurality of subsets, which arestored in connection with respective generation number informationsectors.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said separation ofsaid information is based on an update frequency of said informationset.